Animals

Going without sleep for too long kills animals but scientists haven’t known why. Newly published work suggests that the answer lies in an unexpected part of the body.

A lizard that both lays eggs and gives birth to live young is helping scientists understand how and why these forms of reproduction evolved.

As Scarlett Howard taught honeybees to do arithmetic, they showed her how fundamental numbers might be to all brains.

Researchers agree it’s a long shot, but transmissible cancers could theoretically evolve into independent species. Certain weird parasites might be living proof.

Theories about how animals became multicellular are shifting as researchers find greater complexity in our single-celled ancestors.

Skyrocketing animal diversity a half-billion years ago was linked to spikes and dips in marine oxygen levels, according to a detailed geological study.

By reconstructing prehistoric food webs and analyzing the diverse interactions of humans with other species, the ecologist Jennifer Dunne is developing a new understanding of sustainability through network science.

To make headway on the mystery of consciousness, some researchers are trying a rigorous new way to test competing theories.

Researchers hope that the genes of a glowing squid can illuminate how animals evolved organs for beneficial bacteria.